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Project Title

Inhibitors of a Known Therapeutic Target to Treat Brain Injury and Improve Associated Cognitive Deficits

Track Code

2011-002

Short Description

Technology Summary: A novel method for treating the loss of neurocognitive function in subjects suffering from an injury/trauma, disease, disorder or degeneration of the brain. Provides, for the first time, a link between cognitive function of the brain and activity of the known therapeutic target.

Abstract

Background: In the last few years, various modalities have been successfully developed to treat trauma, injuries, disorders and degeneration of the brain; however, novel treatments are still needed to improve associated cognitive deficits. For example, there is no proven or accepted therapy for the treatment of long-term neurocognitive deficits such as those occurring in children with brain tumors who have received whole brain irradiation as therapy.

Any chronic or long-term loss of cognitive function resulting from global hypoxia, anoxia or inflammation, radiation damage (both therapeutic radiation and radiation from nuclear weapons or accidents), stroke, age-related dementia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, drowning, heart attack (MI), traumatic closed-head brain injury, concussion or coma could benefit from this novel treatment. A common element in these various types of injuries to the brain is the activation of inflammatory pathways. It is believed that inhibition of a specific pathway will have a beneficial effect on cognitive function.

Technology Description: A person suffering from an impairment of cognitive function would be administered an inhibitor with a known therapeutic target. The cause of the impairment in brain function need not be limited to trauma or injury and can be any disease, disorder or degeneration of the brain that results in a cognitive defect.

The amount of inhibitors of the known therapeutic target administered is an amount sufficient to result in a reduction in the level, severity or occurrence of at least one clinical symptom of the impairment. Improvement can be measured using neurocognitive testing, including standardized measures of memory such as verbal, long-term and working memory, processing speed, executive functioning and planning, measures of the level of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) or assessment of the presence of specific biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid or serum that indicate neurogenesis and brain repair. The novel method is directed at chronic impairment, and it is anticipated that multiple doses of the inhibitors of the known therapeutic target will be used over time to achieve significant response. Preliminary studies show that these inhibitors improve cognitive function in brains showing chronic loss of functionality. Such an activity has not been recognized previously. Experiments in animal models will aim at investigating the underlying mechanisms.

Applications:

Curative treatment of loss of cognitive function due to various causes

Prophylactic treatment of loss of cognitive function due to degenerative diseases

Advantages:

No other treatment currently in place for chronic, long-term cognitive deficits